Mise-en-scène

I've been watching Simon Lelouch's short film, 7h57am-pm, and although it's pleasant to look at, I'm not particularly impressed. The movie features Renaud Capuçon playing Gluck's Melodie from Orfeo ed Euridice in a number of venues along Ligne 6 on the Paris Metro, as well as on stage in the Theatre des Champs-Elysées, and while Lelouch manages to assemble a collection of reasonably nice images, the piece as a whole is disjointed in a first year film student kind of way. It's pretty clear he's driving at a situational juxtaposition, but I don't think he really spent enough time figuring out an effective way to flesh out his idea. There's also the issue of sync: there are many instances where what we hear is not even close to what we see Capuçon play, including a couple of bow changes magically performed mid-note. But my intention isn't to give Lelouch a hard time. The only reason I'm calling attention to his film at all -- even if I'm doing so a year-and-change after its release -- is to touch on the terrific potential that exists for a more candid style of classical arts filmmaking. For all 7h57's foibles, the film does show how terrific the details of classical performance -- whether its music or ballet or whatever -- can look freed from the staid space and lighting of the 'house.' I'm not suggesting that we begin making more music videos for Bach -- I think Vanessa Mae's done quite enough of those already -- but rather create a visual cannon that's more in keeping with contemporary aesthetics, technology and editing, then stand back and see what happens. I think there's a real opportunity here for some talented filmmakers and photographers to create a series of images, both still and moving, that can serve as visual companions to the musical repertoire and, like the music itself, be robust enough to withstand repeated airing. If we want to lure young people to classical art, we need to do a better job of speaking their language, and pictures are a good place to start.